Southwind practices on high school campus

The Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps are in Andalusia for the week to use Andalusia High School as a practice facility for their band.

“We are a summer touring music organization, similar to a marching band.” Instructor Dell Trotter said. “It’s more like an All-Star band because we have kids from all over that pay money to be apart of this.”

Unlike a marching band, the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corp is made up of just percussion, brass and color guard.

“It doesn’t have all the same parts as a marching band,” Trotter said. “This organization got its roots from the military, and only includes percussion, brass and color guard.”

Trotter said that the members of band range from ages 14-21 and are from Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia and Florida.

The group begins practicing during the winter months, but because of living in different states and having school, they are only able to practice about once a month.

During the summer, however, the members all come together and practice 12 hours a day seven days a week. The band will then go on to compete at a national level with their first competition beginning on July 15 in Huntsville.

Since the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps is a non-profit organization, Trotter said they depend on the kindness of different communities to have places to practice and stay.

“We depend on different high schools and colleges to house us and give us a place to practice,” Trotter said. “Andalusia High School was nice enough to allow us to use their field and let the kids sleep on the floor in the gym.”